


Second Opinions

by SensationalSunburst



Series: Small Angry Gardeners [7]
Category: All For The Game - Nora Sakavic
Genre: Andrew is a good judge of character, F/F, Fluff, Future Fic, Kid-fic, M/M, Multi, Neil is Sassy, Post-Canon, kids are hella honest
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-11-06
Updated: 2018-11-06
Packaged: 2019-08-19 13:55:53
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,332
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16535852
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SensationalSunburst/pseuds/SensationalSunburst
Summary: “They’re okay.” Andrew said, “They’re friends.”Lily squinted, holding Andrew’s even gaze for a long moment before she looked to her father and lifted both hands in the universal sign for up. He complied immediately, laughing as he straightened to his full height. “Now we’re good? They got the Uncle Andrew stamp of approval?”





	Second Opinions

**Author's Note:**

> Chronologically follows Hey, Jude.

* * *

Matt and Dan’s daughter, Lily, was almost comically small.

“I’ve seen bigger burritos.” Andrew said the first time they had come over and Matt had been carrying her. She was tucked against his chest, wrapped in an orange swaddle with her head resting against his heart. Unlike Kevin, who’d held Leigh like he was a timebomb for the first six months, Matt looked like a pro.

“Burrito is new,” Dan had laughed, startled at the unexpected quip. She looked tired, but held herself with the same aire of victory that she did when the Foxes won games.

“We’ve heard bag of rice, too.” Matt said, settling on the couch, “Nicky wanted us to dress her as an Exy ball for Halloween and carry her around in a racket.”

Neil lit up at the idea, but Dan’s almost growl melted to the expression off his face.

“It’d make a cute photo,” He explained.

“...Maybe.” Dan said, squinting.

But that year their Christmas card featured exy ball Lilly and Matt and Dan in their old uniforms.

Nicky had cried.

 

Lily was quiet and painfully shy around strangers, hiding behind Matt’s legs when she was old enough to toddle around or burying her face in her mother’s shoulder. Her big honey brown eyes would peek shly from around her parents, the coils of her curls nearly hiding her face until she warmed up.

It took months of visits and cookie bribes for her to recognize Andrew and Neil as friends, which had been hilarious to watch. Neil treated her like a particularly skittish cat, smiling when he caught her eye but otherwise ignoring her, while Andrew won her trust by splitting soft baked cookies. Eventually, she sought them out on her own, edging forward to tug on Andrew’s shirt and point at where she knew the cookies were stored and wrapping her arms around Neil’s leg to balance on his foot.

Leigh however, she loved immediately

Kevin and Thea’s son was going to be tall. At five he already towered over the two year old Lily, but he let her hold his hand and led her around the house as she stared up at him with an expression that bordered on awe. He did his best to pick her up and carry her around, but after Andrew had saved them both from a tumble down the patio steps, the practice had been outlawed.

Leigh taught her how to make Jude sit and shake. How to call to the chickens and how to pet the cats gently.  He taught her to approach Uncle Andrew from the front and that Uncle Neil was the fastest runner in the _world._

Leigh even understood her toddler babbling, serving as a translator for Neil who, despite his best efforts, just stared hopelessly once Lily began to talk at him.

 

The Fourth of July came around with a flurry of activity and guests. The day was unseasonably hot and Neil popped open the large lawn umbrellas he’d bought off the television, shading the patch of grass where Jude, the cats, Leigh and Lily were lounging on a blanket, curled about each other as Leigh read his audience a book.

Across the yard, Matt and Dan were lounging on the patio, nursing Andrew’s homemade shandys and chatting about preschools and exy with Thea and Kevin, respectively.

“How’s that, guys?” Neil asked.

Leigh looked up and beamed at him, “Much better!”

Lily babbled happily and Neil nodded, “Awesome, and here comes Andrew with some water. Be sure to drink it.”

“Water, munchkins.” Andrew said as he approached, plopping a small basket of mini water bottles on the corner of the picnic blanket. He ran a hand over Jude’s head when the dog perked up at his approach. But since both Lily and Leigh were using the curly haired hound as a living pillow, she stayed put, settling with a sigh as Andrew made to walk back to the porch.

“Hello, hello!” Allison called out as she strutted from the front of the house, arms extended out with a bottle of wine in each hand. Behind her, Renee was carrying a grocery bag, smiling indulgently.

Leigh was up like a shot, dropping his book and sprinting across the yard.

“Daddy,” He cried, jumping up the patio stairs, “Look! Look who’s here!”

“Yeah, buddy.” Kevin said, drawing Leigh up onto his lap.

Back at the picnic basket however, Lily had sat up and froze as she realized that there were strangers between herself and her parents. Andrew turned when he heard her whine of distress and watched as she climbed to her feet and made her way as fast as her tiny legs could take her to wrap herself around his calf. Automatically, Andrew reached down and settled his hand on her head, gently petting her springy curls until she relaxed enough to peer up at him with eyes swimming with tears.

“Oh no, did we scare her?” Renee asked. She and Allison were by the porch, staying back and away. Matt stood, his face crumpling with parental sympathy.

“Aww, it’s okay baby girl,” He said, crouching before her, “We know them, they’re okay. It’s Aunty Allison and Aunty Renee!” He held out his hand to her, but Lily still looked dubious. Her tears had dried the second Matt had approached, but when he reached out a hand to her, she used it to tug him back and behind Andrew with her.

“I don’t think she believes you, babe.” Dan laughed.

Andrew crouched, gently dislodging Lily’s hold on his jeans. She shifted, trying to tug Matt back again as she attempted to hide behind both men simultaneously. She looked up at Andrew then to Allison and Renee and back as if waiting for his reaction.

“They’re okay.” Andrew said, “They’re friends.”

Lily squinted, holding Andrew’s even gaze for a long moment before she looked to her father and lifted both hands in the universal sign for up. He complied immediately, laughing as he straightened to his full height. “Now we’re good? They got the Uncle Andrew stamp of approval?”

“Duh, Uncle Matt!” Leigh said, voice dragging on his name like Matt was being particularly dumb, “You smile at _strangers_! Uncle Andrew only smiles at friends!”

Andrew blinked.

Matt blinked.

Dan blinked.

Thea and Kevin shrugged in unison.

“That’s right!” Neil said, he bent his knees and held out his palm, “High five!”

“Uh uh, don’t you encourage that. There’s nothing wrong with being friendly!” Dan said.

“There’s nothing wrong with seeking a second opinion either.” Andrew stood and and regarded Lily, who was staring down at him from her perch in Matt’s arms. “Lily, I’m sure if you ask, Renee will give you one of the cookies she brought.”

“That’s right,” Renee said, smiling gently, Lily ducked her head into Matt’s shoulder, but tilted her head to peer out from the curtain of her hair, unable to resist the siren call of cookies. Renee pulled a covered tray of cookies from the grocery bag she was carrying and rattled them before setting them on the patio table next to Dan.

“Let’s go, shortcake! Aunt Renee is a good baker!” Matt said. He jumped, eliciting a startled giggle from his daughter, then bunny hopped back to the patio. Neil took his place, knocking his shoulder against Andrew’s as Jude stood too resettle at Andrew’s knee.

“Kid’s got you figured out.” He said, a laugh in his voice.

“I’ll divorce you.”

“Nicky is going to be so happy.”

“I will rip out your tongue, I swear to God.”

“You wouldn’t,” Neil said and when Andrew turned to look at him, he was smirking “You like what it can do too much.”

“If you shut the fuck up,” Andrew shot back stepping so they are almost chest to chest. He ignored the wolf whistle from the patio, “I will let you show me later.”

Neil threw his head back to laugh, cheeks red and pupils already dilated, “Deal.”

**Author's Note:**

> As always, thank you so much for reading! Feedback is always appreciated!  
> Thank you!!


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